Dispenser valve providing controlled flow and quick gassing



June 17, 1958 J. w. SOFFER ETAL DISPENSER VALVE PROVIDING CONTROLLED FLOW AND QUICK GASSING Filed June 18, 1956 3 INVENTORS JACK W. .SOFFER AND DONALD M. KITTERMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent i DISPENSER VALVE PROVIDING CONTROLLE FLOW AND QUICK GASSING Jack W. Soler, St. Louis, Mo., and Donald M. Kitterman, Kansas City, Kans.,Y assignors to Development Research, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June 18, 1956, Serial No. 591,900

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-394) This invention relates to dispensing valves for singleuse low-pressure containers, and particularly to 'that type of valve which utilizes a rubber-like elastic seal in which a rigid valve member is mounted.

The purposes of the present invention include the following:

To disassociated the function of flow control from the function of valving, and to provide for a chosen rate -of ow regardless of the extent the valve may -be opened.

Similarly, to disassociate `and substantially isolate the flow-regulating means from the valve-operating means, thus permitting lthe construction of a standard valveoperating means utilizable together with flow-control means specially designed for the particular product.

To achieve precise flow control, even with such valves utilizing solid stems. For such valves, ow regulation has heretofore `been a -most diihcult problem.

To increase greatly the speed at which containers may ybe gassed, even though the dispensing rate is mechanically restricted.

In gassing containers equipped with valves employing dip-tubes, to insert gas directly into the head space above the contents of 4the container, rather than through such dip-tubes.

These and still further objects, and the manner of accomplishing them, will be apparent from the specification which follows.

In .the accompanying drawings:

jFigure l is a side view, partly in section and partly fragmentary with annular parts thereof broken away, of -a valve mechanism embodying the present invention as applied to a valve utilizing a rigid valving member of the tubular type, shown in closed position.

IFigure 2 is a View of the embodiment `shown in Figure 1, with vthe valve depressed and the sealing skirt dilated While gas passes through the valve under outs-ide pressure greater than the pressure within the container.

7Figure 3 is a. View somewhat similar to yFigurel 1, of the present invention as embodied in a valve of the type utilizing a solid stem valving member, s'hown in closed position.

The present invention represents improvements, for the purposes mentioned, over ounce-pending application, Serial No. 577,680 filed April 12, 1956, entitled Dispensing Valve Dischargeable in Upright Position, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part. Figures 1 and 2 apply such improvements to the same basic valve construction illustrated in said co-pending application. in each of Figures 1 and 2, the 'left half of the illustration shows the valve mechanism in` section Whereas the right half shows the mechanism in more fragmentary form with annular elements thereof broken away. The valve mechanism as a whole is mounted, `without clamping or any other mechanical attachment to its edge, within an outwardly ilanged central circular opening 10 in a mounting cup 11 whose outer rim 12 is adapted to be crimped sealingly to the mouth pi a low-pressure single-use container, not illustrated 2,839,225 Patented June 17, 1958 here. Through the central anged opening 10 passes the sleeve portion `13 yof a rubber-like elastic tubular seal generally designated `142-. yIt has an enlarged body portion 15 on the inner side of the mounting cup 11, which body portion terminates centrally in an anular valve seating face 16. Radially `outward of the valve seating face 16 is an annular groove 17 presented downward, Whose inner wall consists of the seal body portion 1'5 and whose outer wall is ya ilexi'ble annular skirt 18 which extends down substantially fbelow the valve seating face 16. At the -base of lthe sleeve portion 13, and extending radially outward therefrom substantially beyond the lflexible annular skirt 18, is an annular sealing ange 19, presented fiat against the inner surface of the mounting'v cup 11. The edge portion 20 of the flange outward of the annular skirt 18 is thin and flexible and well adapted to maintain a tight seal against the mounting cup 11 under the pressure of gas within the container.

Mounted in the tubular seal 14 yis a substantially rigid valve spout generally designated 21, having a substantially cylindrical tubular stem portion 22 which passes through and is sealingly encompassed by the sleeve portion 13. At the inner end of the spout 21 -is an imperforate Valve head 23 which closes against the annular valve seating face 15. Adjacent the head 23 are a plurality of stem ports 24, through which contents within the container pass into the stem when the valve head 23 is displaced from the seating face 16.

Near the outer end of the valve spout 21 is a downward-facing shoulder 25, against which bears the upper coil of a volute compression spring 26, whose lower coil bears against the outer surface of the mounting cup 1.1.

Within the annular groove 1-7 in the under surface of the seal 14 is received the upper rim 27 of a hollow nipple generally designated 2E having rbeneath the rimv 27 a substantially cylindrical wall portion 29, terminating in a funnel portion 3l? having a downwardly-presented tubular orifice 31. The tubular orice 31 is 4graspingly engaged by the upper end of a somewhat elastic dip-tube 32 which may rbe formed of extruded polyethylene.

Unlike the nipple orifice shown in `our said co-pending application, the orifice 31 of the present invention has a tapering tip 33, whose only opening is a small-diameter how-restricting inlet 34. The diameter and `other flowresistance characteristics of lthe inlet 34 may be selected with a View to the viscosity of the product to be dispensed, so as to restrict its ow to a desired slow rate. Such restriction will be greater than the extent to which the flow vis restricted by the valve mechanism when in open position, as shown in Figure 2. As a practical matter the valve stem ports 24 may `be made as large as can be conveniently molded, for they are no lon-ger relied upon for controlling rate of flow. lFurther, the entire valve can now be manipulated as if there were but two positions, open `and closed, a feature which certain users may greatly prefer.

Using such a nipple 28 renders the flow characteristics of the valve independent of the valving mechanism. Variation of 'the flow characteristics may 'be accomplished merely by varying the diameter of the core pin used for molding the inlet 34.

Such a small, flow-restricting inletr34, however, intensiiies the problem of gassing the container. lf the inlet f 34 is made small enough to achieve fio-w control with the valve open, it would slow the flow of pressurized gasinto the dip-tube 32, thus lengthening the time required for the gassing operation. We overcome this diiiiculty, and permit far quicker gassing than has heretofore been pos'- sible, 'by providing the cylindrical wall portion 29' `of the nipple 23 with a plurality of gas-'loading openings v35. These are normally sealed closed `bythe annular skirt 18 of the tubular seal 14, as shown in Figure l.

Figure 2 shows the position of the valve parts while `gas is being inserted, with the arrows showing apath of owV of the gas. After a container has been filled to the desired level with the iluid product to vbe dispensed, a mounting cup 11, with the valve mechanism mounted therein, is .crimped in place inthe container mouth. The partly filled container with valve aixed is'passed under a gassing machine, which depresses the valve spout 21 downward, unseating the valve head 23.from the valve seating face 16, as shown in Figure 2. Gas under pressure is inserted by the gassing machine through the tubular stem portion 22 of the valve spout 21, and passes through the stern ports 24,4 flows past the valve head 23, and into the hollow nipple 28. The pressure of the gas within the nipple 28, exerted through the gas-loading openings 35, distends the annular skirt 18 of the seal 14 away from the cylindrical wall portion 29. Thus-gas within the nipple 2S passes through the gas-loading openings 35 directly into the head space of the container over the container contents thereof,'without passing through the dip-tube 32.

Since no large volume of gas passes through the flow restricting inlet 34, the restriction which it affords does not cause a build-up in pressure within the nipple 28 to a substantiallyl greater value than in the container head space. Relieving the stem ports 24 of any ow control function also makes possible the use of larger stem ports, which permits quicker admission of gas to the nipple 28. The speed at which containers may be gassed is thus increased far beyond whathas been possible heretofore.

Figure 3 illustrates the application of this invention to the type of dispensing valve wherein a rigid, solid-stem valve, having a head at its lower end, is mounted spacedly Within a tubular elastic sleeve which extends outward through the container mounting lcup from an annular seal body portion having a seating face within the container. The mounting cup 11, nipple 28 and dip-tube 32 shown in Figure 3 are identical with those shown in Figures 1 and 2; and except for the shape of the valve seating face 16, so are the portions of the seal 14 =below the mounting cup 11. For this reason similar reference numerals are used in Figure 3 to identify these parts; and the detailed descriptions of these'parts and the reference numerals lascribed to them will not be repeated.

As for the differences, the seal sleeve portion 13, shown in Figure 3 has a radially enlarged annular plug portion 3.6 above the flanged mounting cup opening and a downwardly-presented shoulder 37 which a'buts the flange of the opening 10, thus holding the valve assembly in position.

Extending upwardly through the sleeve portion 13 is a solid-stem inverted rivet generally designated 38, having 4an enlarged tapered head 39 which seats yagainst the valve seating face 16. The rivet stem portion 40 extends upward therefrom spacedly within the sleeve 'portion 13, to permit the outflow of the container contents when the stem portion 40 is deected and the tapered head 39 unseated from the valve seating face 16. The rivet stem portion 40 has a hollow end 41 presented upwardly to be spun and radially enlarged on assembly so Vas to bear against annular undercuts 42 in molded internal vanes 43 which project within the tubular rigid dispensing spout 44. Below the vanes 43, the spout 44 is flared outward to provide a lower plug-surrounding annular shield portion 45, at the lower margin of which is an inwardly-beaded rim 46. n

In assembling the portions of the valve illustrated in Figure 3, the elastic plug portion 36 is compressed and inserted through the central anged opening 10 of the mounting cup 11; the rigid stem 40 is passed upward through the sleeve portion 13; and the dispensing spout 44 is applied downward so that its shield portion 45 encompasses the annular plug portion 36 and the beaded rim 46 grasps thereunder. The hollow rivet end 41 is spun outward within the annular undercuts 42 of the projecting vanes 43.

In order to gas the container, a downward pressure on the dispensing' spout t3-compresses the annular plug portion 36 suiciently to unseat the rivet head 39 from the valve seating face 16. The gassing operation with this type of valve may thus continue precisely as with the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2. Likewise on dispensing, the dow-restricting inlet 34 will serve to restrict the ow of contents to a desired ratefor a particular product, without regard to the extent the valve may be opened.

Heretoforeit hask been difficult to control thev ratev of ow through those typesof valves which operate by disengaging a valve head downwardly from a seating face..-

Both embodiments of the y.present invention here shown are adapted to operate either by tilting or depressing; and

the dow-restricting feature functions in precisely the same` manner regardless whichtype of operation is employed.

While the figures illustrate valves embodying the invention as applied to stamped steel mounting cups for singleuse gas pressure containers, the same valve may be employed withother types of containers, including stainless steel multiple use dispensers, and also such forms of single use containerslas seam-top cans andV glass or plasticpressure bottles. lOptionally, the flexible outer Vsealing flange may be crimpedv to the rim or mouth of the container selected. Y p n It the flow-restricting inlet 34 is quite small, unseating the valve head 23 from the seating face 15 willreduce the pressure within the nipple 2 8 to nearly atmospheric pres; sure. ThenippleZS is therefore constructed of a suiciently rigid plastic, and of sufficient thickness, to withstand such a pressure drop. When such a pressure drop occurs, the pressure differential within `and without the,l

nipple is accumulated over the projected annular area `of the funnel portionV 3 0 and transmitted through the cylindrical wall portion 29 to the rim y27. Thus when the valve is opened and such pressure diierential is created, it serves` to press the nipple rim 27 tightly'againstthe seal 14. YThis may be particularly useful as an additional sealing force,

term outer refers to a direction taken along the 'tubular f spout from the portion within the container to the portion ouside the container; whereas radially outwardk refers'to the annulus of the seal 14 or to'directions perpendicular to the axis of the stem portion 22. The other terms ofV direction used in the claim will be understood as relating to those which have been dened. The claim is intended v to cover the same 'operating relationships i even though valves may be installed sidewards or slantingly, or in some container wall other than the top wall.

Many other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. Thus the scope ofthe present invention isnot to be limited by the embodiments illustrated, the materials mentioned, or the uses discussed; but should be construed `as fully co-extensive with the claim which follows:

We claim:

For use with a gas pressure dispensing container, a combined gassing and discharge valve mechanism including an apertured top container wall, a substantially rigid valving member having a stern` portion penetrating said apertured top Wall and supported exterior of the container, the valving member having a head within the container, va substantially rigid hollow nipple having an upper rim, a` cylindrical side wall including a gassing apertureV and a bottom wall having a nipple inlet orifice, and a dip-tube secured thereto and communicating therewith, together with a unitary elastic annular seal membery positioned against the inner surface of the top wall of the container, the seal member having a valve seat portion at its underside, `a groove around the valve seat portion wherein the nipple rim is received, an elastic skirt portion radially outward of said groove and extending downward into the container, the skirt portion having an unsupported outer surface exposed in its entirety to the gas pressure Within the container and an inner surface grasping the outer surface of the cylindrical nipple wall and closing over the gassing aperture thereof, the nipple being supported Within the container by said elastic skirt portion, the seal member further having an unsupported free-edged iiexible ange presented against the inner surface of the container top Wall radially outward of the skirt portion and held in place against said inner Wall surface by gas pressure Within the container.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fooshee Nov. 10, 1953 Green May 24, 1955 McGhie et a1 Aug. 16, 1955 Beard Nov. 8, 1955 Carlson et a1 May 8, 1956 St. Germain May 22, 1956 Urlab Ian. 22, 1957 

